You got off the plane after an excrutiatingly long flight, and followed the other passengers into the arrival terminal. "Hello. Are you Rachael?" A kind looking girl, who only looked a little older, stopped you and asked. You nodded. "Yeah, that's me." The girl's smile grew. "Oh! I found you." She giggled. "My name is Seo Jin. I am from the company." You were so tired and only wanted to get to your apartment, but you knew this girl was part of your new job so you had to play nice. You bowed awkwardly and smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm...Rachael." She smiled again and opened her arms, motioning for you to walk and talk. You followed her and listened to her talk a mile a minute about when your work would start, where you would live, and what your job basically entailed. You only half listened as you spotted your two suitcases on the moving belt of baggage claim and picked them up. She was kind enough to grab one for you and you followed her outside as she kept talking. You nodded along and chose to actually listen, in case anything was important. You jumped when she suddenly yelled for a taxi and one pulled up in front of you. The driver stepped out and loaded your suitcases in the trunk without a word and you were practically shoved into the cab as Seo Jin kept talking.

The drive wasn't long, and soon you were standing outside an apartment building. "This is where you will live. There are two other choreographers and one will share an apartment with you, but don't worry, you will have your own room. There," she pointed to a building next to the apartments. "That is SME. You will work there. Here is your key card to get in. We will meet tomorrow at 10am to go over more information when all the new choreographers are together." You nodded. She handed you the key card to SME and then another thing that looked like a metal button on a keychain. "What is this?" You asked. "That is the key to your apartment door. Hold it up to the door and it will open. There is also a passcode, but you will get that when you go inside." You nodded again and bowed as she left you to get to the apartment. You pulled your suitcases behind you and struggled to get them through the door together when a cute stranger came to your rescue. He was definitely attractive, had muscles but wasn't super buff, and was clearly asian. (http://coolmenshairstyles.com/images/2009/11/asian-young-guy-hairstyle-2010.jpg) You tried to give a friendly smile, but it was more awkward than you wanted it to be. "Need help?" He asked, completely surprising you with his english. "Oh! Uhh, yeah! If it's not trouble for you." He smiled and stuck out his hand. "I'm Jason. It's not a problem at all! I just got here yesterday so I understand." You laughed in relief that you had found an english speaking man who you could relate to. "I'm Rachael. Thanks." He took one of the suitcases and followed you to the elevator. "So are you one of the new choreographers?" You nodded and his face lit up. "Cool! Me too! I'm from New York. Where are you from?" "LA." You said, giving him your first genuine smile since landing in Korea. "Well I am glad to meet you, Rachael. I look forward to seeing what you got!" He teased and you laughed. "Yeah, yeah. We'll see who's better..." You shot back as you stopped outside your door. He laughed and handed you your suitcase. "Thanks for the help, Jason. I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" He nodded. "Yeah, see you then Rachael. Get some rest. Jet lag is a killer." You nodded and opened the door with the magnet key thing. You pulled your stuff inside and shut the door behind you.

"Oh my God, are you my new roommate?!" A tanned girl with a thick Australian accent and red curly hair asked, a smile on her face. You jumped at her loudness. "Uhh. Yeah, I guess. My name's Rachael." You stuck out your hand and she completely side-stepped it, giving you a hug instead. "My name is Johanna. It's so nice to meetcha! So you're an American?" You nodded. "That's so cool! I'm from Australia!" You smiled and nodded like it wasn't obvious already by her accent. "C'mere, let me show you around our place!" She took your hand and pulled you around, showing you every corner of the apartment. Then she stopped before a door and opened it to reveal a plain room, empty except for a chair, desk, and bed. A small closet was off to the side. "This will be your room. I'll letcha get settled in. Have you eaten?" You shook your head. "We'll get some dinna lata then, with Jason, the other choreographer. Have you met him? He's a hunk!" You laughed and nodded. "He helped me with my bags, he's cool." She walked away and left you with your things to settle in. You walked in, set your bags to the side, and looked around. It was bland, but it was cozy. Modest. You smiled at the thought of making it your own. You pulled out your clothes from the suitcases and arranged them in the closet. You took out some pictures and arranged them on your desk, taking special care of the one with you and your dad. You emptied both suitcases and put them under the bed when you were done. You looked around. You'd have to do something to the walls and buy some nicer bedding, but it would do for now.

You left the room and called for Johanna. "Do I have time for a shower before we eat?" "Of course, mate!" She led you to the bathroom and you noticed there was no shower. Just a handheld shower head and a slanted area with a drain. "Real Korean style, right?" She laughed at your expression. She showed you how to work it and you arranged all your toiletries neatly where hers were in a hanging basket. You closed the door when she left and stepped under the shower head in it's holder on the wall. "It's not THAT different." You said to yourself. After showering, you changed into some comfy clothing. "It's autumn. I should wear something warm, but not too warm." You thought out loud as you looked through your closet. Finding something you liked, you threw it on. (http://media-cache-ak1.pinimg.com/550x/a5/5f/34/a55f3459b302a548fafe21cb4a3777b9.jpg) You brushed on some light makeup and threw your hair under a slouch hat, picking up your messenger bag, and meeting Johanna in the living room. "Ready to go?" She asked and you noticed Jason standing near the kitchen. "Hey." He said. "Yeah. Where are we headed?" They exchanged a look and you could already tell what they had planned. "Drinking!" Johanna cheered. "And Korean BBQ!" Jason said, trying to not make it sound like a booze fest. "I know this great place not too far from here. Great food. And great soju!" He said, teasing Johanna and she cheered again. The sun was setting and you smiled as they led the way. You got to the restaurant and everyone was staring at the foreigners, you and Johanna. Jason blended right in! "So...are you Korean?" You asked him as the meat came and he grilled it. He laughed. "Yes. Korean-American." You nodded and laughed too. "I only ask because you blend in so well." He laughed again. "Yeah, my parents are Korean, but I was born and raised in America." You nodded. "Do you speak Korean?" "Yep. My parents were really strict about that when I was growing up. They didn't want me to forget my *finger quotes* heritage." You smiled. "That's cool! No wonder you know what you're doing here." "Don't worry." He said. "You learn fast. You'll get used to it pretty quickly."

The meal was delicious and you swore you had never had better tasting meat. Johanna was well into her third bottle of soju and slurring her words. "Y'know why I came to Korear? I wanted to dance and drink delicious alcohol with y men like you, Jason." You laughed at her drunken words. Jason took the bottle away from her. "Okayokay, you're cut off." He said laughing. You helped her up and outside while Jason paid and he helped you drag her home. She was practically almost passed out already. "Sorry we introduced you to your first night in Korea like this." You laughed. "No! Don't be! It was fun! Korea seems really great." You smiled and were silent the rest of the way home, which wasn't far. He helped you get Johanna in bed and said goodbye. You closed the door after him and washed up, getting in bed yourself. Tomorrow would be a big day.

You woke up to the sound of your alarm and looked at the time. 8am. You got up, took a shower, and dressed in some nicer clothes for your first day of work. You didn't think you'd be dancing today, but you wore danceable threads just in case. (pants that allow you to move) You put on a baggy shirt and sweater, paired with a blazer and black wedge sneakers. You completed the look with a hat over your loose waves. (http://www.hotbeautyhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/layered-winter-outfits-06.jpg) Johanna was up when you walked out to the kitchen and you laughed at her messy attire. "Oof. Hangover?" She nodded and took a sip of her coffee. You poured some for yourself and let the dark delicious liquid wake you up. "You should get ready. We need to be at the company soon." She nodded again and walked to her room. She came out later looking like she had never had a drop of alcohol in her life. "Wow. You clean up well!" You said as she put on her shoes. She smiled. "Yeah, but I still feel like ." You laughed and you both headed to the building across the way.

You were nervous. This was your new job and you were good at it, but you were scared it would end up like your last one. Totally fake and corrupted. Only the ty dancers had gotten the work back in LA and you had only auditioned to work for SM because you were desperate to leave your life there behind. There was no realness to the people in LA. They danced only what they were told. The art of dance was an unreachable idea that people always said they wanted, but forgot, only to leave it behind for what the talentless directors wanted. Life was like a routine blur there and you were going crazier each day. You hoped with everything in you that Korea would be different. You took a deep breath and scanned your card at the door, walking into the building. You walked through the halls to where you were supposed to meet and saw Seo Jin on the way. You smiled and waved at her, feeling bad that you had not been nicer to her when she brought you here. That's who you were though. You weren't the kind of girl that was giddy and ditzy and nice to everyone. You got to the meeting room and the other choreographers from the company smiled at you, bowing and welcoming you to the company. You bowed and smiled in return, trying to remember all their names. Then you all sat and the dance director went over your job descriptions. A few hours later, they wanted to give you a tour so you got up and followed them as they showed you around the building.

You got to a dance room and smiled when you saw a wall of clouds opposite the mirrors. "How precious." You mumbled to yourself. A group of guys were already in there when you entered. They looked up, wondering what was going on. "This is where the magic happens!" The director laughed. "This is where you will meet with your assigned groups and teach them choreography and practice. There are more rooms than this one, but they all look like this. These boys here are Super Junior!" They came up and introduced themselves. You shook their hands and smiled at them. They were so handsome. "They are rehearsing for their Super Show 6, which will touring all over the world soon." You were impressed. You didn't really know who they were, but they had to be good to get a world tour. "Director! Are these the new choreographers?" One of them asked in Korean. He had dark hair and a manly body, but his face was so feminine! He looked you up and down and smirked. You were not impressed; you gave him a "really bro?" look and he laughed. The director spoke to you. "Actually Rachael, you will be working with Super Junior a lot! Your audition tape matched their style well so you will be their main choreographer for some of the songs on this tour. You'll work with others too, but they need choreography for three more songs on the tour." You nodded, but you were secretly miffed that you were now stuck with the . "She's your head choreographer for the last three songs on the tour." She said to him in Korean. His eyes lit up and he smiled. He stuck out his hand and spoke in broken English. "Hey, hello, wassap? I am Heechul." You shook his hand. "Rachael." "Rachael?" You nodded and his eyes sparkled mischeviously. "Do you speak Korean, Rachael?" You answered him in broken Korean. "I can't speak Korean well, but I understand it." He nodded. "I look forward to working with you."

You were introduced to the others and they met Jason and Joanna as well. "Now..." The director called, her eyes becoming mischevious. "...let's see what our new choreographers can do!" They guys cheered and suddenly music was blasting through the speakers. The three of you laughed and a circle was formed, opening towards the mirror. Jason immediately jumped in and you were impressed by his talent. The guys instantly loved him and cheered him on. Best friends forever already. You swayed to the music, but waited your turn as you let your mind go and allowed to music to flow through you more freely. Joanna jumped in after Jason and her hip hop/y moves reminded you of Beyonce. She was really good. You were all laughing and having a fun time with each other. By now, your self consciousness had melted away and your mind went blank, filled with nothing but the music and dance. You moved to the center of the circle when Joanna jumped out and totally lost yourself in the music, mixing moves from all genres. Cheers were heard, but you ignored it, focusing solely on the rhythm of the music and smiling. You joined the outer circle again and snapped back into reality when the boys began showing you what they were made of. You took the moment to observe their strong and weak points and laughed and cheered along with the others. When the music stopped, you were all breathing hard and laughing. "Daebak. The newbies are so good!" A guy named Eunhyuk said. You smiled and gathered your things to leave. The day had flown by and it was time to leave. The guys had other schedules and you wanted to explore Seoul a little.

You fixed your appearance in the mirror and grabbed your bag when you heard your name behind you. Looking back, you saw Heechul waving you over. You walked over to where he was sitting. "Rachael. What you do tonight?" He asked, his broken english making you laugh. "You can speak Korean with me." "No no! My english good! Fantastic! Yo, baby! I speak in english!" You laughed harder and wiped your eyes from tears of laughter. "Really." You said. "Korean is okay." He smiled and nodded. "Okay. So what will you do tonight?" You shrugged. "I don't know. I thought I would explore Seoul a little." His face lit up. "Seoul? I will show you Seoul!" You narrowed your eyes and he laughed. "I will not be weird." "Don't you have a schedule?" You asked him and he shook his head, taking a drink of water. You couldn't help but watch the way his lips wrapped around the spout of the bottle. He really was attractive, even with his femininity. "I am done with schedules for today." You shrugged again. "Okay then. Sure." He smiled and grabbed his things. "Oh yeah! Okay!" He said dramatically. "I will show you Korea!" You scoffed again at his arrogance. "Wait here. I will wash up and meet you in the lobby." You nodded and walked out to the front of the building. You saw Jason and Johanna and they asked you what your plans were. "I am going to explore Seoul. With that Heechul guy." Johanna laughed. "Oooooh." She teased. "Watch out for that one, mate. He's a real lady killa." You laughed. "We're exploring Seoul, not each other." They laughed and you said goodbye as they left. You saw Jason sneak a look at Johanna and you smiled, but couldn't help but feel a little jealous of her.

Heechul came up behind you, his hair still wet and smiled. "Ready?" He asked. You nodded and he led you outside. "So...what is the first thing I need to see in Seoul." "Hmm..." he thought for a minute, then his eyes lit up! "Han River! And street food!" You smiled. "Sounds good!" It was 5pm now and the sun was beginning to set. You were walking down the street and it grew awkward when no one said a word. "So..." he said, clearly trying not to be awkward but failing. You covered your mouth with your hand to hide a giggle. "Where are you from?" He asked. "I'm American. I'm from California." "Ah! California! I've been there!" You smiled. "Yeah? Where did you go?" "LA!" It was your turn to light up. "I'm from LA!" His face showed dramatic surprise. "Yah..." He smiled. You talked a little more and he asked you if you knew Super Junior before coming to Korea. When you shook your head no, he freaked out. You laughed at his dramatic attitude and he became arrogant, saying that he was the best in the group and the most popular, but you knew it was all talk. The walk ended when you made it to Han River and saw many food carts with tables and chairs. "Wow. This looks delicious. I'm so hungry." He pulled you towards one. "This stuff is really the best. You should try it. I will buy everything if you try it." You laughed and nodded. "Yeah!" He cheered and high fived you. You sat down together and ate delicious food. He literally took you to almost every street cart to try Korean food in it's purest form. You loved all of it.

By the end of the night, you were so full and it was getting colder. You put your hands in your pocket and stood facing the river and closed your eyes, feeling the wind on your face. Heechul watched you, liking you more and more as the night progressed. You opened your eyes and found him staring at you, but even though you were embarrassed, he didn't even try to hide it. "You're very beautiful." You blushed. "Uhh...thanks." You turned around and walked towards a bench. He followed you and sat down too. "Tell me about your family." You froze, never wanting to answer that question. That was another reason you had left America. After your father died...you had done everything you can to put your life back together. You two had been so close and he was all you had left after your mother bailed when you were young. You looked up at Heechul and shrugged. "Why?" He asked. "My dad...died last year. My mom bailed when I was young. I don't have any siblings." He looked genuinely sad and sorry that he said anything. You could see him mentally kicking himself. "I'm sorry." He said. You shook your head. "Don't be. My dad was a really amazing person." You smiled, but it was like he read your mind. "Is that why you came to Korea?" You were surprised and laughed a little at the irony. You nodded. "It's not the only reason, but it's one of them." "What is the other one?" You looked at him and wondered if he'd understand. You didn't want to bash your own country, but you also didn't want to lie. "Well...in America I was a backup dancer. And when you work as a dancer, the industry is very harsh and corrupted. The only girls who got jobs were the ones who slept their way into it. Talent means nothing there. Dancing is no longer an art, it's just money. I came to Korea because a friend had mentioned a job in choreography here. She said that Korea was different and appreciated dance. So I applied on a whim. And now I'm here." He nodded and listened intently. "And is it?" You were confused. "Is what?" "Is Korea different?" You smiled. "I don't know yet." He smiled and stood up, you followed suit. "It's late. I should take you home." You nodded and you both started walking back to the apartments. You talked more on the way and you realized that you felt really comfortable around Heechul. Yeah, he was brash and arrogant, but you liked him for that. He was genuine. He didn't care what others thought. He was real.

You got back to the apartment and stopped. "Do you live here too?" You asked. He laughed and shook his head. "I live in a dorm with the other members, it's not far from here." You nodded and turned to go, but he stopped you. "Rachael..." You looked at him and waited for him to keep speaking. "...thanks for hanging out with me and telling me more about you. You're very interesting." You smiled. "Thanks for showing me Han River and buying me delicious Korean food." He smiled again and you swore you saw his cheeks turn pink, but you shook it off. "I'll see you later." He nodded and said goodnight, walking away as you headed up. You got in, talked to Johanna and told her how it was, and washed up for bed. You were already liking Johanna even though she was crazy. That was her charm. She was wild just like her hair. You got in bed and thought about your decision to move to Korea. So far, you hadn't regretted it, but you were worried that regret would sneak up on you, just like it always had in the past. You were still worried that Korea would become dull and dead, just like dancing had become in America. You closed your eyes and sighed and tried to push away your worries. "Don't freak out about what hasn't happened." You whispered to yourself. You rolled over and attempted sleep. Tomorrow was your first real day of work and you had a lot to choreograph.